Latest / The Standard / Sports for a Better World — Building Opportunity Across Africa | Ep.30 ft. Steve Muturi

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Sports for a Better World — Building Opportunity Across Africa | Ep.30 ft. Steve Muturi · The Standard

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_03: Fantastic.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to the Standard Podcast, where we raise the bar, rebuild the culture, and call out the lies or misconceptions that nobody else will.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_03: This isn't motivation, this is a movement.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_03: I'm Thomas Rowe, and today I'm joined by my host, Aaron Charles, and we're sitting down with Steve Maturi, sports director and founder of Naewakati Sports Africa and the AM4 Potential Program.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_03: For over 10 years, Steve has been planning, organizing, and executing grassroots and mass participation sports initiatives across Kenya and Africa, from marathons and tournaments to youth talent development and sports tourism.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_03: Steve is leveraging sports as a tool for social transformation, inclusion, and economic growth.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_03: As a program coordinator, talent ID specialist, sports tourism promoter, esports entrepreneur, and sustainability champion, Steve is building bridges between communities, athletes, and opportunities across the continent.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_03: His mission is simple but powerful.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_03: Sports for a better world.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_03: We're diving into the truth behind what it really takes to build identity, discipline, and legacy in sports and in life.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_03: So let's get into it.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_03: Steve, we're super excited about having you join us.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you so much for taking time out of your early morning to meet with us.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thank you so much.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's a pleasure to be hosted by you, and it's my pleasure too.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you so much.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_03: So let's get into it.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_03: You founded Nawataki Sports Africa and the AM4 Potential Program to use sports as a tool for social transformation across Kenya and Africa.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_03: What does raising the standard mean to you, especially in the work you're doing with grassroots sports?
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thanks, thanks, Thomas, for that question.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: For me, raising standard is about uh basically the standard that has been set for athletes.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, here in in Kenya has been uh greatly borrowed from the West.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: And uh there's a certain way whereby uh when these kids come into these uh sports, and they come to uh to to engage in sports, they are like I want to be like uh if it's a football, they want to be like Ronaldo, they want to be like Messi's.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and uh this that standard that has been set that to be to be the best, uh you have to go, uh you have to go through uh a certain system.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: I mean so for us, we are and you have to to to look a certain way.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: This feel that they are they're not uh they're not like what they see on the on the on the television.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so for us, raising the standard is is about telling these kids that he was special.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: Uh God you when you came into this earth, you you have a talent, God gave created you with a talent.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: And uh for us, both is about participation more than performance.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so even when these kids, when they are playing, they are like these kids, this uh like Eric is not playing better than AVL because there's a certain way they've they've seen has been presented.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_01: So for us, we are telling them come into our sports program, you are unique, bring your own unique uniqueness, and we try and focus on on that that every child is is unique, every kid is unique, every everyone in this world was I mean was created with a purpose.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_01: And uh just like God created I mean the the the world and and and the trees and the flowers, every flower has its own color, be it a rose, red rose, be it uh a yellow, uh, I mean uh uh flower.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: So everyone is is unique in in his or her own way.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: So that's for us raising the standards about bringing your uniqueness, bringing out who you are, and we try and focus on identity.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: In our programs, we really try and uh and focus so much on about identity.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: Your identity is not in is not in what others say that you are or you are not.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: You are you are special.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: You you you've you've been born, uh, I mean, and you've come in this art with a gift, and we try and uh and help uh develop this gift.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_03: Gotcha.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_03: That's impressive.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_03: And what would you say is the biggest lie you feel the culture of global sports industry sold African athletes and communities about opportunity development and what it takes to build a sustainable sports infrastructure?
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, uh the the lie that has been there is that um it's like when when these athletes come into the sports ecosystem, they are like bombarded with it's like we they are robots, yeah.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_01: In the sense that uh you you are you are brought into a system and you're you're told you you're supposed to perform in in this type of way, yeah.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, we we we believe in a structured way, yeah.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: But again, if if you're not able to deliver according to the system, it's like you're you're not good enough.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: So there's that lie that you are you are if you're not able to fit in the in that system, you are not good enough.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yes?
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: And you cannot be you cannot amount to anything, yes.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: So I believe that that is a miscon misconception, and uh that's why we even in our programs we are we are trying to to bring out so many other sports so that like in Africa, uh most of the kids here they play soccer, but all of them want to be to end up playing in in the in the Premier Leagues, in the La Liga leagues, yeah, and in this American.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: But uh the truth is not all are going to play in that league.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: That's the whole truth, yeah.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but we're trying and develop uh uh a way that when these kids come into the sports ecosystem, they are able to uh to get other skills, not only the sporting skills, they're they're able to develop their character development, they're able to bring out the leadership skills, the discipline.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I believe there's that there's that lie that has been pushed, and it's unfortunate it has even crept here in Africa and in Kenya, and that there's a certain way that these sports should be should be done, and this this person should end up in a certain way.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: And again, the glorification of the fame, the glorification of uh the the this uh the the the huge amounts of money, yeah.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: So you see that these kids, even when they come in there and they're coming from a background of of a lack, so there's that this lie that when I get when I play when I play soccer, I'll end up like player X.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: But when that when the player gets in and doesn't make it to that level, he becomes frustrated.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he ends up in drug abuse and and and and mental uh instability.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: So I think this is something that we really need to uh to push through to the youth and uh young people uh and the kids.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_01: That it's not it's not about you becoming someone else.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_01: You are special and you you can become much more than what you see.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_03: That's so true.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_03: That is so true.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_03: You spent over 10 years organizing mass participation events like marathons and tournaments across Kenyan Africa.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_03: What made you say I need to build something that gives African athletes and communities a real shot?
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's a that's a nice question.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, what made me do that?
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's because again, it's the talent pathway.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_01: Because a lot of a lot, it's not that I'm the only one person doing grassroots uh sports, but you find that even in this grassroots initiative, there's no pathway in terms of doing it in in a number one, a professional way, number two, advancing, advancing what what these sports uh are being done.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: And again, right now uh in the there's a change of the curriculum, school curriculum system here in Kenya, and uh the new curriculum embraces three pathways.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: One of the pathways is the STEM, science, technology, and mathematics.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_01: The other one is the social science sciences, and the the last pathway is the creative arts and sports.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: So even in this creative arts and sports, uh unfortunately a lot of focus has gone into the traditional sports.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: As I said, the traditional sports are the football, the volleyballs, the netballs.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_01: But again, this the new crop of the generation, the generation, the Gen Z, the Generation Alpha, they are not into we actually even statistics have shown that they are not into the traditional sports.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: So, and also trying to make them to be physically, physically active.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: Because again, Thomas, right now in Africa and in Kenya, we are facing we are facing a crisis in terms of in terms of non-communicable diseases.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: So we're also trying to promote physical activity amongst amongst the youth, amongst the kids, and also amongst the the older generation.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that that really has led me to come up with these initiatives.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_03: That's fantastic.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna turn it over to segment two, which is identity and legacy.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_03: Aaron's gonna go ahead and lead that.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_03: Aaron, take it away.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I am gonna jump in here, and I would love for you to share with our audience, Steve, just who are you beyond all the things that Thomas has shared with with us so far?
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like who are you and how do you define character, integrity, and discipline as part of that?
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thank you.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'd say uh Steve is uh is uh um first of all, um husband, uh husband to one one wife, it's called Denise.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: Been married for my 16th year.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_01: I have three kids, uh Ediel, uh firstborn daughter, and then uh two sons.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_01: Ezrael and Javier.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: So Steve first of all is uh is a husband and is a father, and um, I'm a believer of I'm a firm believer of that of potential.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_01: I believe in potential, and I believe that here in earth God gave us created us to to have dominion, and also we we we we came in in this world with a lot of potential.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: And I believe that just like a seed, a seed that is in in in in in in the right environment, given the right environment, it will definitely sprout.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: So I believe in giving uh opportunities to people around me, service, I believe in service, and also I believe in uh uh honoring God.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's part of key key principle in in not only in our program, but in also what I'll do.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: So I believe in honoring God, I believe in service, service to God's people, service to uh to what I do, service to giving service to the community, giving service to my family.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I believe we also we God gave us, I all I always teach the kids in in our programs that God gave us two hands, one hand to give, and another one to receive.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: So it's not about giving, I mean receiving only.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's about giving and it's about receiving.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm I'm a believer of uh believer of giving and I'm a firm believer of uh that we of sharing what uh what what God has given unto us.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we are here to share our gifts and talents that God gave us.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: As far as your mission in is in making sports for a better world, what would you say is legacy, what legacy do you want to leave as part of the work that you're doing?
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thank you.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_01: Legacy for me is big picture.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: Legacy is something, I mean, what will others what will be said or when I'm long gone?
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: So for me, one legacy is uh the the connection part, yeah.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_01: I believe I'm a firm believer of I'm a pan-African connector, only a pan-African connector, is is in the sense that now that I've been able to meet with with Erin, with Thomas, and with your great organization, yeah, yeah, I'm a believer of sharing and and also networking.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_01: So legacy for me is about networking.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_01: Networking in the sense that I'm able to to to share or to to tell the other person that hey is this organization that can help us, is this organization that I mean can we can partner with them, we can collaborate.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: So for me it's about uh helping helping uh the whole sporting ecosystem because again, we come from we come from a background here in Africa, Kenya, of gatekeeping, whereby when someone gets a connection or as someone that can be able to help others, he sees that as just an avenue to help himself or a particular people.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: So but for us, and I can uh I can share this that uh we've we've uh we've tried to bring opportunities to many people that we work with, to many organizations.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like the other day, this week, actually it was last week, there's a football organization that we registered, and we registered on behalf of the minorities tribes here in Kenya and for the refugees.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: And this is about giving them a platform.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_01: And when I called a friend of mine, Peter is in Kalobay, is in Kakuma camp.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: I told him about that the program, the CONIFA, it's called the organization, it's called CONIFA.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_01: I told him that we have onboarded them and we are supposed to host an African continental championship here in Kenya.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_01: So for him, it was like, oh, we are coming to Nairobi, the big city, how are we going about it?
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, what about the uniform?
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_01: And I told him, we're gonna host you.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: So it's about creating also opportunities for others.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: So for me, the big picture is creating an opportunity for someone else.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: That is so good.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: What's one truth you wish every young athlete, parent, or coach understood about building careers, accessing opportunities, and developing talent in ways that serve communities?
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'd say potential.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_01: For me, I'd love parents to just know that their children, their kids are special, and not comparing because again, the system is so structured in a way that yeah, go to go to primary school, to high school, go to university, then get a job.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and this system, especially for here in Africa, probably in the in the west, it has been working in Europe, but here in Africa, that system in in one way or another has uh really made we find that so many graduates after going through that system, because the system told them go to primary school, go to high school, get good grades, and then go to university, study the courses that is doctor and medicine, go to do medicine, be an accountant, be an engineer.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_01: But again, I'd I'd love to tell I actually tell parents that the 20 is the 21st century, there are a lot of jobs or careers that have been uh created out of creativity.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and I think a lot of there are a lot, I'm actually going around schools trying to uh to try and educate even the uh the the teachers about the the sports, the availability of sports, sports careers available right now.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: And how am I doing that?
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_01: Because of the emerging sports.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_01: As I've said, there's that tendency of just focusing on the traditional sports, yeah, football, netball, volleyball, the hockey.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: But again, the emerging sports that are coming up, there's a lot of opportunities.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: For instance, I'm promoting dodgeball, and dodgeball is very new here in Kenya, very new in Africa, and there's a lot of opportunities in terms of referees, a lot of opportunities in terms of tournament organizers.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_01: Let me tell you let me share this that even the balls, we were we were donated some some some balls for playing dodge balls, but you realize in in in America, in Europe, Dodgeball is uh is an indoor sport, correct?
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: Play it indoors, but here we we we started playing it outdoors, and we realized that the balls that we were playing they weared out very fast.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: So we became innovative and we created, I mean, we started uh manufacturing our own balls, yeah.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_01: So, and in this in this innovation, actually, Thomas, we've been able to create jobs because right now, as we go to schools, we're trying to promote these books.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: Schools have really shown an interest, and they are receiving this game with a lot of mean with a lot of curiosity and a lot of interest.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: So, and the balls are uh we are in short of balls.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_01: So, what do we do?
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_01: We've started creating, we started making the balls, and there's a demand for that.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_01: And when there's a demand for those balls, we are creating opportunities for the young people.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's why I say uh there are a lot of jobs that are now coming in in terms of solutions.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_01: Number one, we are creating jobs, number two, we are promoting sports, number three, also in terms of the recycling, because these balls we are using are part of the the old recycle, the old denim genes that are that are thrown away, imported, imported from the West.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: Because again, now Kenya is the largest importer.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Of second hand clothes in Africa.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_01: So we are also trying to, in one way or another, this is a double-edged for one way we are we are promoting sports, and the other way we are creating uh opportunities for young people, and the other way we are, I mean in this in the in the circular economy.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_01: So for me, just to to go back to your question, is that I'm trying to tell parents that you you don't have to structure.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, you you are you the system you you went through the system, you became a uh uh an engineer.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: Right now, try and and and listen to your your your your child and and and focus on his interest in terms of his passions.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because again, when you do something, when you're passionate about something, it creates an opportunity many opportunities.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: And also for me, let me say this.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: I was not trained bookkeeper.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_01: So you'd wonder how from uh bookkeeping now I'm into sports, it's because of the passion that I have for sports.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_01: And also the the the that sports has be uh has an enormous potential, not only to promote to promote sports, cuts across even all religions, because sport is able to bring in uh all religions together.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um in my programs I can tell you I have Muslims, I have Christians, I have uh, I mean Hindus.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and yeah, I mean this is uh it's something that uh really, really cuts across.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: So awesome.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I'm gonna turn it back over to Thomas.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: He's gonna ask you the next set of questions.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_03: Awesome.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_03: Hey Steve, thanks so much.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_03: If you could sit down with a young African athlete just starting out, maybe playing at the grassroots level, what advice would you give them about pursuing sports, accessing opportunities, and building their future?
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and uh I'm actually sitting with uh a couple of young young guys, and uh what I'm telling them is that number one is discipline, the discipline part of it.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_01: Right also telling about character development because sports really shapes your your your character.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_01: Number two, the the enormous opportunities that lie in sports.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_01: Last year I was invited by a local university here, one of the biggest local universities that offer sports as a career.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_01: So as I was talking to these fourth years, they were I they actually graduated, and uh I I was telling them about the immense opportunities that lie in in sports, yeah.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: And uh them I was actually I've not done a I've not majored my degree in sports.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_01: Then they've majored in a degree in sports, but oh we cannot find jobs, there are no jobs, yes.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: I thought what are you saying there are no jobs?
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_01: And right now there are so many sports.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, don't focus on on only one sport because everyone has uh I mean tend to focus on uh a sport that is uh maybe on on on on like here in Kenya because people follow football religiously.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm I'm telling them not just don't don't focus on on football.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you can focus on discourse on disc go.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, you can focus on another uh a sport like jumpo.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, you can focus like right now there's esports.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_01: And right we are we're actually promoting there's the first what the world's first acrobatic esport.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_01: And it's it's it's it's it's called freestyle trampoline.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_01: So uh for for uh I'll tell these young people to to be to be to be creative and also to not not to hear, not only to rely on on the curriculum, that which they were taught.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_01: Because right now, even the university, the Kenyatta University, as I've told you, the director of sports are engaging us as uh new acutis to try and and help them to develop some of and and promote some of this emerging sport.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: So I think this is uh there's a lot of opportunities that lie ahead uh for for Kenyans, for a lot of young people, not only in Kenya and also in Africa.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_01: And again, let me say this, Thomas and Erin.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_01: Right now, the one asset that Africa Africa is uh is really really leveraging on is the population.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_01: Because right now the the population is uh in Africa is means 70 percent uh below the age of 30 years.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_01: So we we are seeing even these uh sports in in a couple of years, uh they are saying in 2050, one in every five young people will be uh will be Africa, we'll be an African.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_01: So these sports will be uh mean most of them will be not only played here in Africa, but they will be we we are going to see a lot of uh opportunities in in our continent.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_01: And uh we want to drive this drive this agenda.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_03: Totally get it.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_03: And now with over 10 years of building Nowataki Sports Africa and AM4 potential, what is the one thing you're trying to make sure the next generation of African sports leaders understand about using sports for a social transformation?
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, it's a very good question.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, one one thing I want to under to make them understand is that sports number one, it addresses a lot of issues in terms of number one, we could say climate issues.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: Okay we are using sports, we have a uh program here in in Nairobi, it's called Protect Our Climate, Protect Our Planet Initiative.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_01: So we're using sports as one of the of the vehicles to pass the message of climate.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, we're using sports uh as as as as a way to tackle social social vices here in the city, yes, because again, yeah, in terms of we find that uh there's a lot also of uh of teenage pregnancy.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: So we are we are trying to bring to come up with uh sports to try and also uh to help these young mothers at least be engaged.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_01: We're finding sports coming also to help in terms of mental, yeah.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_01: Mental mental sports coming in also to help in terms of mental health, yes.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_01: The the mass participation events that we organize, maracles, they are really coming in handy, yes.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_01: And finally, um we are using also sports to spread the word of God, yes, yeah.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_01: Being a being a firm believer in in in the Bible and in the word of God, we are using sports as a tool to evangelize, yes, and how do we do it?
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_01: How do we do it?
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: We have a program and it's called PAM.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_01: SAM is an acronym for sports sports as a ministry.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_01: So we are using sports uh to to reach out to reach out to the youth that are not going to churches.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_01: So we are using sports as a our as our pulpit to reach out to them, and we do not and how do we do how do we reach to them?
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_01: We do not reach to them in uh in a in a in a in a forceful way.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_01: We organize tournaments, we just go to the where they are, uh, in urban areas, in in rural areas.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we engage, we engage the youth in sports because a sports is something that the youth understand.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: So when they come in there, we are able to to have session after after after the match.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_01: If it's a football, if it's dodgeball, especially this emerging sports, they are really getting the the youth and they are and the young the the kids uh really want to uh because it's it's like an explorative uh way.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_01: So in these uh in the sessions after after after after engage them in the sports, that's when we we we we get that opportunity to delve into the word of God.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and uh there are a lot of issues.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_01: The young people here in uh in Kenya, there are a lot of issues, they are undergoing a lot of issues and pressure.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_01: So uh we find it as a source of uh source of encouragement, uh, because these young people could not have otherwise gotten the word of God apart from uh apart from this initiative through sport.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_03: Outstanding, Steve.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_03: That's awesome.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna turn it over to segment four, which is the rapid fire round with Erin.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_03: She's gonna ask you a series of questions, and you just give a one-to-two answer response.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_03: How's that work?
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, perfect.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so I'm gonna say discipline equals.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, say it again.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't get it.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_02: Discipline equals.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_02: Discipline equal.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_01: I think I didn't I didn't get the question well.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, that's okay.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna just ask you short sentences.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: You're gonna finish my sentence.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_00: So, what would you say discipline equals in your world?
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, discipline equals, ah, okay.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_01: Uh discipline, discipline.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_01: I go with uh Jim Rohn.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_01: Jim Ron says discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_00: Jim Rohn's amazing.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, what about leadership?
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_00: What does leadership equal?
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_01: Leadership equals to service, and service equals to leadership.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_01: Faith equals faith equals that's the most powerful force that we do have here on earth.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_01: You can lose everything, but with faith you can get back everything.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_00: What about legacy?
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_01: Legacy equals legacy equals big picture when I'm gone.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_00: When I'm gone, what's one thing, Steve, you would never compromise on?
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_01: I think for me it's my faith.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_00: And what if you could put a message on a billboard, like a put out a big message to the next generation of African athletes, what would that message be?
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_01: Message would be you're born with with a potential, you're born with something bigger than what people see.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_03: That's perfect.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_03: That's perfect, Steve.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_03: We first of all, team, we want to give a big thank you to Steve.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_03: I believe it's one o'clock in the morning.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_03: So Steve made an incredible commitment to join us on this podcast.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_03: Steve, where can people connect with you?
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_03: Whether that's on LinkedIn, social media, a website, or anything that you feel they need to connect you at connect with you at.
• 35:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thank you so much, Thomas.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we are on um Instagram, Niwakati Sports.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, on LinkedIn, um, we are also on LinkedIn on as uh Niwakati Sports, and also on LinkedIn, um I'm there on my profile as Steve Moturi.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we are we are actually developing uh a website, so it's gonna be probably the first probably in the first week of February or second week, that is next week.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_01: So it's gonna be new acartisports africa.com and uh we are also on uh on Facebook, on Facebook, uh new acarty sports.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and so those are the handles we uh we are on.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, so people can follow us, we we invite partners, uh collaborations.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks to you, Thomas and Erin, for hosting us or making.
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you see, without people knowing, you might do something, uh, but people don't know what you're doing.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_01: It's like uh uh the way the scripture says a city on a hill.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you you you you have a like but you've hidden it.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you for for I mean letting uh what we are doing be exposed and uh getting people to see what what we are doing out here.
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I can say there's a there are a lot of uh people like me, like in in Africa doing amazing work, it's just that uh they don't get that visibility.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_01: So we are also humbled about it to have this opportunity.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you, Steve.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_03: This is fantastic.
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_03: We've had uh guests from North America, meaning America in Canada, Europe, Southeast Asia, South America, and now in Africa.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_03: Steve Maturi, thank you for building sports infrastructure and opportunities across Africa.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_03: And team, if this conversation hit you, do two things for us.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_03: One, share this episode with someone who needs to hear it, an athlete trying to access opportunity, a coach building programs in undeserved, underserved communities, a sport leader trying to use sports for social good.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_03: And two, let's connect with Steve on LinkedIn and learn more about Nawataki Sports Africa and AM4 Potential Program.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_03: And if you're serious about grassroots sports development, talent identification, and sports tourism in Africa, Steve is building the bridges you need to cross.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_03: And if you're an athlete parent or coach, ready to raise a standard, check us out at blueprintbluechip.com.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_03: We help athletes build identity, discipline, and legacy that goes far beyond the game.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_03: And if you're ready to clear up who you are beyond the game, join us for a three-day reset at blueprintbluechip.com.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_03: It's a win play show and it will guarantee to make to challenge you both mentally and physically.
• 38:15
  SPEAKER_03: And if this episode resonated with you, leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_03: It helps us reach more athletes, parents, and leaders who need to hear this message.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_03: This is the standard podcast, and this movement only grows when we raise the standard together.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_03: Talent fades, but truth endures.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_03: Let's raise the bar, let's rebuild the culture, and let's become the standard.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_03: Steve, Aaron, thank you so much, both of you, for joining us today.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_03: You guys have a great day, and uh, Steve, have a great evening.